This invention relates to a system for automatic recording of inventory stored in spaced bins of an automatic warehouse.
Inventory taking has been accomplished by computer monitoring of all movements of products within a high rise warehouse. In some situations, however, the maintenance of continuous inventory records is not justified, and pallets may be stored at any empty bin in a storage framework. In either situation, it may be desirable to make a periodic physical inventory check of the actual contents of the warehouse.
Manual inventory taking in a high rise stacker warehouse is accomplished by having an operator ride the stacker crane, and manually record the contents of products in the rack storage structure. Such manual inventory taking involves the inaccuracies inherent in any manual recording system, and is a slow and time consuming process.
In simple conveyor systems, it has been possible to locate an inventory scanner at a fixed location along the conveyor. Each time an article is conveyed in front of the scanner, the scanner is activated to record the contents of the article being transported. The problems involved in a conveyor system are considerably simplier than the inventory taking problems in a high rise automatic warehouse, and the equipment developed for conveyor inventory taking is not directly applicable to high rise warehouses.